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Things are moving fast as employment and social affairs make up a decisive part of the roadmap to a more united and democratic EU by June 2019, announced by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in September 2017: the Commission proposals to make it happen must be on the table of the European Parliament and Council by May 2018 at the latest.

We explain how the European Pillar of Social Rights, proclaimed by EU leaders last November, serves as a framework for preparing them and is strengthening the social dimension of EU economic governance.

We also review proposals for an EU framework to raise the quality of apprenticeships, report on evidence of an urgent need to take on intergenerational inequality and show how social innovation is a must to ensure sustainable economic growth.

The first Employment and Social Development in Europe (ESDE) Quarterly Review of 2018 highlights the solid economic growth in the EU combined with a positive economic outlook together with general improvements in the labour market.

The number of employed in the EU is above 236 million in the third quarter of 2017. At the same time, unemployment is decreasing at a solid pace. Economic growth and positive developments in the labor market are visible in the majority of Member States. The latest forecasts present a positive outlook for the next years.

Things are moving fast as employment and social affairs make up a decisive part of the roadmap to a more united and democratic EU by June 2019, announced by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in September 2017: the Commission proposals to make it happen must be on the table of the European Parliament and Council by May 2018 at the latest.

We explain how the European Pillar of Social Rights, proclaimed by EU leaders last November, serves as a framework for preparing them and is strengthening the social dimension of EU economic governance.

We also review proposals for an EU framework to raise the quality of apprenticeships, report on evidence of an urgent need to take on intergenerational inequality and show how social innovation is a must to ensure sustainable economic growth.

The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) offers assistance to some of the most vulnerable persons in the EU. The assistance may take the form of food, clothing and other essentials, accompanied by advice, counselling or other help to re-integrate into society.

This catalogue provides a snapshot of FEAD-funded initiatives across the EU but also highlights how they can potentially complement other EU-funded programmes such as the European Social Fund.

How big is undeclared work in the EU? According to this study, more than 11% of work in the private sector is 'under the table'. However, there are big differences between EU countries, with Poland, Romania and Lithuania having the highest levels of undeclared work, while Germany and the Netherlands have low shares. The study analyses the reasons for this and examines the types of employments where undeclared work is more frequent.